Drawer assembly with a stop mechanism

ABSTRACT

A drawer includes two vertical side plates with fixed sliding rails, a drawer slidable on the rails, and two stop units. Each of the stop units is disposed on the drawer and a respective one of the sliding rails, and includes a stop member fixed on the corresponding rail, and a positioning member fixed on the drawer. Each of the positioning members includes a cantilever portion having a U-shaped front lever portion and an inclined rear lever portion. The drawer is movable forwardly to a first extended position, where the front lever portions are obstructed by the stop members from further forward movement and where the drawer is movable forcibly and forwardly so that the positioning members pass respectively over the stop members, thereby allowing for removal of the drawer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a drawer, and more particularly to a drawer assembly that includes a stop mechanism, which can prevent unintentional removal of the drawer.

2. Description of the Related Art

Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional drawer assembly 1 is shown to include two vertical side plates 11 formed as parts of a cabinet or desk, two aligned sliding rails 12 disposed respectively and fixedly on inner side surfaces of the side plates 11, two aligned horizontal stop pins 13 (only one is shown) secured respectively to the inner side surfaces of the side plates 11, a drawer 14 slidable on the sliding rails 12, and a vertical stop plate 15 secured to a rear end of a bottom surface of the drawer 14.

When the drawer 14 moves forwardly on the sliding rails 12, the stop plate 15 comes into contact with the stop pins 13. This can prevent further forward movement of the drawer 14. As such, unintentional removal of the drawer 14 can be avoided. When it is desired to remove the drawer 14 for cleaning or putting the articles contained therein in order, the drawer 14 is fully opened, the front of the drawer 14 is declined, and the rear of the drawer 14 is moved upwardly to separate the stop plate 15 from the stop pins 13. However, since the drawer 14 is typically heavy, difficulties are encountered during drawer removal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of this invention is to provide a drawer assembly that is capable of overcoming the above-mentioned disadvantage associated with the prior art.

According to this invention, a drawer includes two vertical side plates with fixed sliding rails, a drawer slidable on the rails, and two stop units. Each of the stop units is disposed on the drawer and a respective one of the sliding rails, and includes a stop member fixed on the corresponding rail, and a positioning member fixed on the drawer. Each of the positioning members includes a cantilever portion having a U-shaped front lever portion and an inclined rear lever portion. The drawer is movable forwardly to a first extended position, where the front lever portions are obstructed by the stop members from further forward movement and where the drawer is movable forcibly and forwardly so that the positioning members pass respectively over the stop members, thereby allowing for removal of the drawer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features and advantages of this invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of this invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional drawer assembly;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of a drawer assembly according to this invention, illustrating how a positioning member is disposed behind a stop member;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating how a drawer is disposed at a first extended position, where a U-shaped front lever portion of the positioning member engages a rear stop surface of the stop member;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating the first extended position of the drawer;

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating how the drawer is disposed at a second extended position, where a concaved middle lever portion of the positioning member engages a tip of the stop member;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating how the positioning member is moved forcibly and forwardly to pass over the stop member so as to allow for removal of the drawer; and

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the preferred embodiment, illustrating how the positioning member is moved rearwardly from the position shown in FIG. 6 so as to engage an inclined rear lever portion of the positioning member with a front guiding surface of the stop member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the preferred embodiment of a drawer assembly according to this invention is shown to include two vertical side plates 21 with two sliding rails 22, a drawer 23, and a stop mechanism.

The side plates 21 have inner side surfaces 211 that face each other. The sliding rails 22 are fixed respectively on the inner side surfaces 211 of the side plates 21, are aligned with each other along a transverse direction (A) perpendicular to the inner side surfaces 211 of the side plates 21, and have inner side surfaces 221 that face each other. Each of the sliding rails 22 further has opposite front and rear ends 222, 223.

The drawer 23 is disposed slidably on the sliding rails 22 between the side plates 21 in a known manner, and has a vertical rear surface 231 and a horizontal bottom surface 232.

The stop mechanism includes two stop units, each of which is disposed on the drawer 23 and the inner side surface 221 of a respective one of the sliding rails 22. Each of the stop units includes a stop member 3 and a positioning member 4.

Because the stop units are similar in construction to each other, only one of the stop units will be described in the succeeding paragraphs.

The stop member 3 is disposed fixedly on the inner side surface 221 of the sliding rail 22, is located in proximity to the front end 222 of the sliding rail 22, and includes a fixed triangular prism 30 (see FIG. 4) that is formed with an inclined front guiding surface 31 and an inclined rear stop surface 32. The rear stop surface 32 is disposed behind and is integrally connected to the front guiding surface 31 to define a rounded tip 33 (see FIG. 4) therebetween. The front guiding surface 31 extends rearwardly from the inner side surface 221 of the sliding rail 22 to the tip 33. The rear stop surface 32 extends rearwardly from the tip 33 to the inner side surface 221 of the sliding rail 22, and is steeper than the front guiding surface 31.

The positioning member 4 is made of plastic steel or metal, and is disposed behind the stop member 3, as shown in FIG. 2. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the positioning member 4 is disposed fixedly on a rear end portion of the drawer 23, and has an L-shaped mounting portion 41 and a cantilever portion 42. The mounting portion 41 has a vertical plate portion 411 and a horizontal plate portion 412, each of which is formed with a horizontal slot 413, 414 that extends along the transverse direction (A). The vertical and horizontal plate portions 411, 412 are connected respectively and fixedly to the rear and bottom surfaces 231, 232 of the drawer 23 by two bolts 415, which extend respectively through the slots 413, 414. Therefore, the position of the positioning member 4 relative to the drawer 23 can be adjusted along the transverse direction (A).

The cantilever portion 42 has a U-shaped front lever portion 421 extending integrally and outwardly from the mounting portion 41 toward the sliding rail 22, a rearwardly and inwardly inclined rear lever portion or free end 422 disposed behind the front lever portion 421, and a concaved middle lever portion 423. The middle lever portion 423 is concaved toward the mounting portion 41, and has front and rear ends that are formed respectively and integrally with the front and rear lever portions 421, 422 so as to define a tip-receiving space 424.

In use, the drawer 23 can be moved forwardly from a fully closed position (not shown) to the first extended position shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. At this time, the front lever portion 421 of the positioning member 4 is obstructed by the stop member 3 from further forward movement. Therefore, unintentional removal of the drawer 23 can be avoided.

When it is desired to remove the drawer 23, a forward pulling force is applied to the drawer 23 so as to move the drawer 23 forwardly on the sliding rail 22. Hence, the cantilever portion 42 is deformed so as to allow for movement of the drawer 23 from the first extended position to a second extended position shown in FIG. 5, where the tip 33 engages the tip-receiving space 424 in the positioning member 4. This can impart resistance to further forward movement of the drawer 23. Thereafter, when the drawer 23 is further pulled forwardly, the cantilever portion 42 is again deformed so that the positioning member 4 can pass over the stop member 3, as shown in FIG. 6. This allows for removal of the drawer 23.

When it is desired to remount the drawer 23, a rearward pushing force is applied to the drawer 23 so as to result in rearward movement of the positioning member 4 relative to the side plates 22 from the position shown in FIG. 6. During rearward movement of the positioning members 4, the rear lever portion 422 of the positioning member 4 engages the front guiding surface 31 of the stop member 3, as shown in FIG. 7. At this time, the drawer 23 can be further moved forcibly and rearwardly so that the positioning member 4 passes over the stop member 3.

Because the rear stop surface 32 is steeper than the front guiding surface 31, the rearward pushing force needed to move the rear lever portion 422 of the positioning member 4 on the front guiding surface 31 of the stop member 3 is smaller than the forward pulling force needed to move the front lever portion 421 of the positioning member 4 on the rear stop surface 32 of the stop member 3.

The drawer assembly of this invention has the following advantages:

(1) The stop members 3 and the positioning members 4 can cooperate with each other to dispose the drawer 23 at the first and second extended positions. Thus, unintentional removal of the drawer 23 can be prevented.

(2) To remove the drawer 23, it is only necessary to move the drawer 23 on the sliding rails 22 (i.e. no tilting and upward movement of the drawer 23 are required).

As such, removal of the drawer 23 can be easily performed.

With this invention thus explained, it is apparent that numerous modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention. It is therefore intended that this invention be limited only as indicated by the appended claims. 

1. A drawer assembly comprising: two vertical side plates having inner side surfaces that face each other and that are formed respectively with two fixed sliding rails, said sliding rails being aligned with each other along a transverse direction perpendicular to said inner side surfaces of said side plates, said sliding rails having inner side surfaces that face each other, each of said sliding rails further having opposite front and rear ends; a drawer slidable on said sliding rails between said side plates; and a stop mechanism including two stop units, each of said stop units being disposed on said drawer and said inner side surface of a respective one of said sliding rails and including a stop member disposed fixedly on said inner side surface of a corresponding one of said sliding rails and disposed in proximity to said front end of the corresponding one of said sliding rails, and a positioning member disposed behind said stop member and having a mounting portion that is disposed fixedly on a rear end portion of said drawer, and a cantilever portion, said cantilever portion having a U-shaped front lever portion extending integrally and outwardly from said mounting portion toward the corresponding one of said sliding rails, and a rearwardly and inwardly inclined rear lever portion disposed behind said front lever portion; wherein said drawer is movable forwardly on said sliding rails to a first extended position, where said front lever portions of said cantilever portions of said positioning members are obstructed by said stop members from further forward movement and where said drawer is movable forcibly and forwardly so that said cantilever portions of said positioning members are deformed, thereby allowing said positioning members to pass respectively over said stop members, after which said drawer can be removed from said side plates.
 2. The drawer assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said positioning members are made of plastic steel.
 3. The drawer assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said positioning members are made of a metal.
 4. The drawer assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said positioning members further has a concaved middle lever portion that is concaved toward said mounting portion of a corresponding one of said positioning members and that has front and rear ends, which are formed respectively and integrally with said front and rear lever portions of said cantilever portions of the corresponding one of said positioning members, each of said concaved middle lever portions defining a tip-receiving space, said drawer being movable forcibly and forwardly from said first extended position so as to engage said stop members within said tip-receiving spaces, respectively, thereby retaining said drawer at a second extended position.
 5. The drawer assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said drawer has a vertical rear surface and a horizontal bottom surface, said mounting portion of each of said positioning members being L-shaped and having a vertical plate portion connected fixedly to said rear surface of said drawer, and a horizontal plate portion connected fixedly to said bottom surface of said drawer.
 6. The drawer assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of said vertical and horizontal plate portions of said mounting portions of said positioning members is formed with a horizontal slot that extends along said transverse direction, said drawer assembly further including four bolts that connect said vertical and horizontal plate portions of said mounting portions of said positioning members respectively and fixedly to said rear and bottom surfaces of said drawer, whereby positions of said positioning members relative to said drawer can be adjusted along the transverse direction.
 7. The drawer assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said stop members is formed with an inclined front guiding surface and an inclined rear stop surface that is disposed behind and that is integrally connected to said front guiding surface to define a rounded tip therebetween, each of said front guiding surfaces extending rearwardly from said inner side surface of the corresponding one of said sliding rails to a corresponding one of said tips, each of said rear stop surfaces extending rearwardly from the corresponding one of said tips to said inner side surface of the corresponding one of said sliding rails, said rear stop surfaces being steeper than said front guiding surfaces, whereby a rearward pushing force needed to move said rear lever portions of said cantilever portions of said positioning members on said front guiding surfaces of said stop members is smaller than a forward pulling force needed to move said front lever portions of said cantilever portions of said positioning members on said rear stop surfaces of said stop members. 